Question Number: 25058

Law 13 - Free Kicks 6/4/2011

RE: Rec Under 16

Larry Phelps of Newburgh, NY USA asks...

Can you confirm that any free kick (DFK, IDFK) to the defending team in thier penalty area must leave their penalty area to be properly put back into play. If that is true, then if any player from either team touches the ball before it leaves the area, the kick must be retaken. Am I correct?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Yes. Law 13 tells us so. For any restart inside their own penalty area, the ball is not in play until it exits the penalty area. (A common players' myth is that it only applies to goal kicks.)

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
All defending kicked resarts inside the penalty area must leave the penalty area to be in play.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

That is correct, Ref Phelps. Law 13 (Free Kicks) and Law 16 (Goal Kicks) are worded almost exactly the same on the ball leaving the penalty area before it is in play. Almost everyone knows it is true for Law 16; I wonder why so few people seem to know Law 13?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Sure Larry and you can confirm this easily enough as it's in black and white in Law 13;

the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 25085